A) What is the Rez Ride 2010 you ask? Let me share... Hidden Heritage-the TV show features 13 episodes per season, one of which is a motorcycle ride through reservation land in South Dakota. In 2009, our inaugural season, we filmed segments in three locations: the Black Hills, Bear Butte, and the Pine Ridge Reservation. Because Paul LaRoche has only a short window of time to break from his live performances and film the ride, it's a little tricky to schedule with other people's vacations. In 2009 we only had three bikes participate for the Rez Ride, but it didn't stop us from having a blast. Due to the late hour we had an unplanned overnight stay in Sturgis and spent several hours on the patio of the Holiday Inn, telling stories and laughing until our sides hurt.
Shane LaRoche, videographer and audio technician, did a fantastic job handling the camera and audio equipment. It's not as easy as you think, considering he has to capture footage of the bikes riding through the curves and turns on the always busy Needles Highway. Heading out to the Pine Ridge Reservation was a little easier with a straight road and less traffic, with the Wounded Knee Memorial as our destination. Little did we know that the Wounded Knee Memorial Run--in honor of Chief Big Foot and the American Indians killed in the Wounded Knee massacre--was enroute to Wounded Knee. Moments after we arrived roughly one hundred bikers rolled in and parked their bikes, having started the run in Fort Yates, North Dakota. The timing couldn't have been scripted any better. With cameras rolling, we captured footage of the ceremony in honor of those killed at the massacre in 1890. We all had the sense that it was no accident for us to witness and share such a moving ceremony as part of the Rez Ride 2009.
This year, in 2010, our plan is to capture footage and scenery on the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Reservations in central South Dakota along the famous Lewis and Clark Trail. And as of today we've upped participation in the ride to four bikes!
B) For our family vacation we'll spend one week at the Horsethief Campground south of Hill City. Our youngest son David will join us, along with another family and their three kids. We'll do some of the typical family traditions, sightseeing, little bit of tourist shopping, and end each day with dinner back at the campground, followed with an evening campfire.
One author note: On Tuesday, July 27, I've been invited to speak to the Hill City Book Club at the Hill City Library. We'll be discussing Hidden Heritage...the Story of Paul LaRoche. Since many people in Hill City are fans of Paul LaRoche and Brule', it should be a fun evening! I am looking forward to our discussion.
C) On Sunday, August 1st, four other couples will join John and I for a circle tour through Wyoming. We're leaving from Hill City and taking some of the back roads west to Sheridan, then up to Cooke City, Montana. From there we head south into Yellowstone National Park and will spend one night in Grand Teton, Wyoming. Next we head east to Buffalo, and back to Hill City on the fifth and final day. We'll finish up our vacation with a couple days of riding in the always-beautiful Black Hills before returning to Minnesota.
My husband and I have been going to South Dakota at least once--and quite often twice--every summer since 2003...and each year part of the reason has involved Hidden Heritage and/or Brule'. On that note, let the adventure continue!
Barbara
1 comment:
Sounds like fun! And back to Wyoming so soon - wonderful! Enjoy and safe travels.
margaret
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